The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1887-07-28

A BRAVE GRIPS LIVING TOMB.
Baltimore Cor. n. Y journal.

OF st. Marys county. His skiff cap
sized, and although he could swim,
he would have become exhausted be-
fore reaching the shore had it not
been for brave Lucy. She was bath
ing in a little cove near the shore.
She saw the skiff 90 over and the
man strike out boldly for his life.
Unmindful of her appearance, she
thought of nothing else but saving
the life of fellow human being.
She reached him just as he was near
ly exhausted, and brought him safe
ly to shore,
Lucy Stoner is the bravest girl on
the western shore OF Maryland. This
was the fourth life she had saved from
drowning, but her own remarkably
narrow escape from horrible death
Is the most interesting of her event
tul career of nineteen years.
She was but sixteen when she
graduated from the academy in Wash
ington. She had studied hard, and,
when she returned home after the
commencement exercises, she com
planned of continuous pains in her
head. About month later she was
found apparently lifeless, lying on
her bed. Before retiring the night
previous she complained of headache.
Everybody pronounced her dead,
even to the gray-bearded doctor, and
the only physician within sixty miles
around. The female friends, howev-
er, who prepared her body for burial
remarked the lax condition of the
muscles Of her limbs. They were not
rigid as usual in death.
Two days and nights the handsome
girl lay in her cotiu in the front
room of the little cottage. Among
those who looked upon the dead girls
face was an old colored gardener en-
ployed by the Turner family, who
owned the adjoining place.
He gazed long and earnestly at the
dead girls face, and then turning to
one of her brothers, who was stand
ing beside him, he exclaimed solemn
ly:
''Massa John, if dis nigga knows
anything, Miss Lucy am not dead.
She am only in trance"
But little heed, however, was tax
en- of the old negro's words. 1t was,
however, determined to place the re-
mains in the Turner family vault,
handsome marble mausoleum, for
few days until arrangements could
be made for the interment in a
Washington cemetery The old col
ored man placed the casket on the
bier i'll the vault after the funeral.
When the mourners had departed he
returned to the vault and hastily un-
screwed the lid of the coffin and also
raised the glass case exposing the
face OF the girl. He then locked the
door OF the vault and returned to his
farm duties.
When all the lights in the Turner
house were out for the night the ne
gro went to the stable, got dark
lantern and stole silently in the di-
rection of the tomb. Once inside
the vault he took off the entire lid of
the coffin. Then taking hold of the
hands Of the girl he rubbed them
vigorously between his own and re-
peated the action on her feet. He
rubbed until the perspiration stream
ed down his face, and then tax
ing razor from his pocket he push
ed the sleeve of the girls shroud
back above the feshy part OF the arm
near the shoulder, and made deep
incision.
In moment he uttered a glad cry
Blood, warm blood, had began to
flow from the wound. The muscles
twitched, the lips parted, and moan
was followed by the opening of the
eyelids.
The old man had expected this,
and quickly showed the slide over
the face OF the lantern so as not to
startle the maiden. He had bound
the bleeding arm with handker-
Chief. Raising the girl in his arms
from the casket he hurried out Of the
vault and across to his house. 1t took
but a moment to awaken his wife,
and though terrified at first, she was
soon helping him to bring the dead
to lite. In few days Lucy was re-
stored to consciousness, and to this
day her arm is married by the ugly
red scar inflicted by black Jim's ra-
zor.
Mans inhumanity to woman makes
countless thousands mourn, would be
an anplica hla randarip., 81 pono.e